By JOLENE OGLE
FOR some it will be a nightmare come true when local venues can begin to apply for extended trading hours from 1 September 2014, when a ban on applications is lifted after four years.
Noosa Waters Residents Association president and government lobbyist Gary Trevithick said he feared for the local community and insisted late night trading hours were directly related to alcohol-fuelled violence.
“Reduced trading hours is the only proven method for reducing alcohol-fuelled violence,” Mr Trevithick said.
In 2009, Mr Trevithick lobbied the State Government to impose a hold on over 100 late night trading permit applications after the Villa Noosa, Noosaville, applied for a 5am trading permit.
Mr Trevithick and the Noosa Waters Residents Association were successful and the State Government imposed a 12-month hold on all late night trading permit applications, pending the outcomes of the Law Justice and Safety Committee inquiry into alcohol-related violence.
The government inquiry, released in March 2010, made a number of recommendations to help curb drug and alcohol-related violence in the local community, many of which have been included in the State Government’s Safe Night Out Strategy (SNOS).
SNOS was recently launched in Noosa with several violence hot spots identified as Safe Night Out Precincts, including Hastings Street and Noosa Junction.
Local police announced there will be a higher police presence in the precinct, as well as continued security at taxi ranks and Noosa Council’s most recent budget includes a budget for the maintenance of CCTV cameras on Hastings Street.
According to Attorney-General Jarrod Belijie, there is no “silver bullet” when it comes to tackling drug and alcohol-fuelled violence and that it is about more than “simply winding back trading hours and punishing those who do the right thing”, rather it requires a multi-pronged approach.
“Quite simply, the violence had to stop. For too long, the actions of a small minority were ruining things for everyone,” he said.
“That’s why, after months of consultation and receiving over 12,000 submissions from Queenslanders, we introduced the Safe Night Out Strategy, the most comprehensive action plan of its kind in Australia to tackle alcohol and drug-fuelled violence.
“The Safe Night Out Strategy is about changing our drinking culture long-term and educating our future generations to restore responsible behaviour and ensure Queensland’s nightlife is safe for all.”
Mr Belijie said strengthening the licensing system was the key, plus a range of reforms set to take place including compulsory drug and alcohol education for school students from Year 7 to 12 in a bid to tackle the culture of early drinking.
“We’ve also introduced a new offence of ‘unlawful striking causing death’, which will carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and require the offender to serve 80 per cent of his or her prison sentence,” he said.
Mr Bleijie said the Sunshine Coast community was a priority under the state-wide plan.
“It will have one of 15 Safe Night Out Precincts across the state that will require mandatory ID scanners in late night trading venues, more high-vis policing and the opportunity to improve locals amenities under the $8 million grant program,” he said.
“We are committed to making Queensland the safest place to raise a family and we believe we are on the right track to achieving this.”
But for local man, Mr Trevitick, only time will tell if the new strategy will reduce alcohol-fuelled violence on our streets.
“We’ll wait and see,” he said.
“But if the SNOS is not successful, then I will make another submission to the government.”
